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In this June 4, 2014 file photo, Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones walks on the field during an NFL football organized team activity in Flowery Branch, Ga. If the Falcons are to return to the playoffs, much depends on Jones' comeback from a broken foot. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

When healthy, Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones has proven to be one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL. He has all the makings of a fantasy football star, too, with possession skills, a talented quarterback in Matt Ryan and the requisite size to be a force in the red zone.

That formula yielded 41 catches for 580 yards and two touchdowns in just five games last season. Before a foot injury ended his season, Jones had blossomed into the No. 1 receiver in Atlanta's offense and was in the midst of a true breakout campaign after totaling 79 catches for 1,198 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012.

Jones' performance in 2013, of course, was overshadowed by a foot injury that required surgery for the second time. Jones also had surgery to repair the same foot after the NFL combine in 2011. The foot, and the threat of lingering troubles, has created a durability issue that clouds Jones' fantasy status in 2014.

But where there's risk, there's opportunity.

As a likely late second or early third-rounder in standard draft formats, Jones falls at an intriguing price point. He offers the last opportunity to land a true elite WR1 before falling into the next tier of wideouts highlighted by Alshon Jeffery, Jordy Nelson and Antonio Brown. All fine options in their own right, none possess the same upside as Jones.

Jones might have baggage, but he lacks the same fundamental weaknesses as the players below him. Nelson (injury concerns, questions about role), Jeffery (consistency) and Brown (size, scoring potential) are all inherently flawed options. Foot concerns or not, Jones is still a better choice.

Look a little deeper, though. At a "swing" position in standard drafts, Jones can easily be coupled with, say, Brown, Nelson, Pierre Garcon or Andre Johnson in the third or fourth rounds. Pair him with a top-tier WR2, and Jones suddenly has injury insurance in a worst-case scenario and the makings of an elite 1-2 punch in a best-case scenario.

Jones is the kind of risk/reward talent that might be worth building around in early draft strategy. The wide receiver position is thin on elite options but deeper in the WR2 tier, which leaves the door open for savvy drafters to take advantage while minimizing their risk.